Scott Lauber breaking the news. It seems that new GM Ruben Amaro, Jr. is not afraid to make daring, original deals. The Phillies traded the double-A prospect to the Texas Rangers for power-hitting prospect John Mayberry, Jr. I think this deal adds another potential bat into the mix for left field, if Pat T. Bat leaves as a free agent. I like the deal. It’s basically a speed prospect-for-hitting prospect deal. Mayberry is primarily a left fielder, and split his time between AAA and AA, and I think he could make a fine replacement for Burrell in the 5-hole.

[Ed.’s Note: I’ll get numbers up eventually (yeah right). I’m too tired right now, and NBC Thursday is on, as well as Dodgeball on FX.]

Former MVP Ryan Howard has been traded today by the club to the Texas Rangers for RHPs Brennan Garr (expected to start for AA Reading), Thomas Diamond (also expected to start for AA Reading), and Omar Poveda (expected to start for High A Clearwater), LHP Zach Phillips (expected to start at Low A Lakewood), and SS Joaquin Arias (expected to take Howard’s place on the major league roster). Reportedly, the club has considered Howard to be “overpaid for his value to [the team],” and wants his “cancerous” attitude out of the clubhouse. When asked who would start at first base in his place, Manager Charlie Manuel replied “Most likely Helms, Feliz, or maybe even Burrell. The season is still early, and we will get that settled when the time is right.” Later asked what he thought of the trade, Manuel said “I believe Gillick knows what he is doing, and this club is headed in the right direction with this move.” Also traded today was starting pitcher Adam Eaton, who was sent to the San Francisco Giants for a player to be named later, or cash.”

My PS2 broke (NOOO), so I decided to write. This is another idea I’ve had. I’m going to trace the franchise’s best players, and see what we ended up with. Batting leadoff, is former pitcher Curt Schilling (see his website here, also on WordPress).

Schilling was with the Phillies from 1992 through 2000. We sent him to the Arizona Diamondbacks for 1B Travis Lee, pitchers Omar Daal, Vicente Padilla, and Nelson Figueroa. Travis Lee was only with the team for three seasons, as the unpopular First Baseman left after ’02 as a free agent to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. So, we got nothing for him. But that’s ok, he was a nobody anyway.

Daal was with the team until November of 2001, when we traded him to the LA Dodgers for minor league pitchers Eric Junge (pronounced like “Young”. It’s German, or something…) and Jesus Cordero. Cordero amounted to nothing, but Junge proved to be a useful commodity. From 2002 through 2004, he was one of the best pitchers on the S/WB Red Barons staff. In 02 and ’03, he got tastes of the majors, but did not do as well as he did in the minor leagues. I guess you could classify him as a AAAA player. He left after 2004 to the Mets as a free agent.

Jumping back to Schilling, Padilla was the best thing we got out of this trade. He didn’t stick with the Phillies until the 2002 season, when he became the number two starter on the team behind Robert Person. He left the team after 2005, when he was sent to the Rangers for Ricardo Rodriguez, who didn’t make it out of Spring Training that year.

The last player in the deal, Nelson Figueroa, was in the minor leagues for most of 2002 (and all of his Philly stint that year), and pitched only 81 innings for the Phils the next year, before being claimed off waivers by the Milwaukee Brewers. He never factored into the team’s plans.

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Where Are They Now?

Schilling, as everyone knows, went on to win the World Series in 2001 with Arizona, and then two more with Boston in 2004 and last year (2007). Though he spent his prime here with us, he still had plenty more productive years. Currently with the Boston Red Sox.

Lee spent one year with the Rays in 2003, before leaving as a free agent to the dark side. He signed with the Yankees, but did not see much action. He then returned to the Rays in ’05 for two years, but was long past his glory days by then. He signed with the Nationals in Spring Training of 2007, but asked to be released. Currently retired.

Daal, after his Philly tenure, was traded to the Dodgers, and then wound up pitching for the Orioles in 2003. After undergoing shoulder surgery in 2004, he called it quits. Interestingly, his current whereabouts are unknown, and is considered missing.

Junge has bounced around since he left, including the Mets, Padres, and Yankees. This offseason, he signed with the Orix Buffaloes in Japan.

After being released in 2002, Cordero never saw the light of organized ball again.

Padilla was traded after ’06 to the Rangers, where he currently is. He quickly ascended the rotation ranks and is now the team’s ace.

Figueroa bounced around even more than Junge did. He’s been with Milwaukee, Washington, Pittsburgh, and even spent two games with the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League. Currently with the Mets.